A representative for Lyft confirmed this week that the driver who reportedly sexually assaulted a University of Southern California student in his vehicle outside of her residence has been permanently barred from using the ride-sharing service.
After the student took a late-night taxi, the driver allegedly sexually assaulted her outside her flat. In the wee hours of November 1, while the female student was making her way back from West Hollywood, the alleged sexual assault took place in the Lyft vehicle.
The suspect’s car was a black sedan, according to USC. The driver was described by the victim as a thinly built man with black hair and a beard who was between 25 and 35 years old.
At Lyft, safety is our first priority. The Lyft representative stated, “The behaviour described is repugnant and has no place in the Lyft community or anywhere in society.”
“A suspected driver’s account has been permanently banned from the Lyft platform, and we are actively supporting law enforcement in their investigation.”
Following the incident, the university’s Department of Public Safety sent out a warning to other students. Since then, a number of students have voiced worries about the safety of utilizing ride-sharing applications.
As of Wednesday morning, the Newton Division of the Los Angeles Police Department had nothing new to offer regarding the incident. They cited a preliminary answer that was sent on November 2 and said that “officers responded to investigate an alleged sexual assault.”
The ridesharing firm made it clear that all of their drivers must undergo background checks both once and annually in addition to ongoing supervision.
“All driver candidates are vetted for criminal records and driving issues prior to providing a ride on the Lyft platform. Our yearly criminal background checks, which are handled by a third-party business, comprise a nationwide criminal search, a search of county court records, a federal criminal court records search, a search of the U.S. Department of Justice’s 50-state sex offender registry, and a social security number trace,” the company stated.
The event is still being looked into by the Los Angeles Police Department. Lyft claims that in order to help with the inquiry, they have called the LAPD and USC campus security multiple times.
